Couldn't decide on a title

There was too many good titles for this week. So here's a list of some of the ones I almost did.

The C got baptized

I like fish, and mango pickle

The delicate sound of thunder wasn't so delicate

"Bring Him Home" is a bad song to listen to on a mission

There's a Gerbil nesting in my bag

Riders on the Storm

The GOP Debates in Texas are a second super bowl 

Electric Sliiiiiiiiiiiide

Missing March Madness Like Crazy

Yep. Wild week. We've had so much on our plate it's been ridiculous. This area just keeps throwing stuff at me and Eldee M. Hopefully, we have made adjustments and dine better planning for this week, so we'll be prepared.

First thing's first: the Cs got baptized! It was an amazing service. Tons of people came to it, including our mission president and his wife! We got to sit next to him and the Georgetown elders. One of the elders covering Georgetown was my MTC companion. It felt way good to be reunited with him after so long, and at a baptism! It made me feel complete, since we weren't able to attend the baptismal service of the woman we taught at the MTC. But here we are, together again, watching a very special family entering into a covenant with God. The C are amazing. They were so happy at the service. C couldn't stop smiling, and Kevin actually smiled for once. This was a moment I'll never forget. It's one I'll tell to the kids.

I got to talk to my mission president afterwards. I told him he could trust me with anything, which he then said, "I know, in fact.." And then he gave me my transfer information a week in advance. I would tell you what's happening, but he told me not to. And he does trust me...

We had dinner with a less active family in our Ward, the S. Contrary to her name, Sister S is Catalan/Pakistani/Puerto Rican and she loves to cook for missionaries. We had the most delicious rice and fish, and she made us eat with our hands. Including a mango pickle. Let me tell you, Mango Pickle is awful. "I like fish and mango pickle" is a lyric from a song, but is very misleading. Don't eat mango pickles.

Tuesday night was the first time I've ever been disrupted from sleep by thunder. It was ridiculously loud. At first I thought someone turned on the garbage disposal in our room, but nope! It was thunder. Some of the lighting was so close to our apartment it lit up the whole room at midnight, followed by a loud crack of thunder. I laid awake for quite a while until I got used to the noise. Man alive was it loud. 

It's been rainy all week. Except for Sunday. It was another Pleasant Valley Sunday, but my goodness, the rest of the week has been wet. There was a lesson we had Wednesday night with a part member family that we couldn't find a ride to. It wasn't coming down too bad, so we thought we could get there without getting too wet.

We were wrong. Well, it didn't help that we got lost. We took a left of Phil Mickelson Drive instead of getting onto Lord Byron Cove (yes, these are the street names. The whole neighborhood is intertwined with a fancy golf course, and all the streets have awesome golf names. There's a golden bear drive next to the Arnie way. Gotta love the HOA) and we ended up a mile away from the appointment. We were soaked. We had to sit on towels and throw our bags in the dryer. We got a ride back to the apartment from the nonmember husband (who was an outfielder for the Cardinals, fun fact) and we both took showers before we planned for the night. 

That would have been okay, but we got caught in the rain every night except Saturday. 

Friday morning it was real bad. We were getting out of a lesson and it was pouring rain. I slipped off my bike and slid across a bridge for a good 30 feet. If it wasn't raining, I would have torn my pants ankle to hip and the cement would have left a nice scar on my leg. But hey, sometimes your blessings come in disguise.

We are teaching the Ry family. The father (Richard) used to attend the LDS church a lot with his cousin when he lived in Utah, and now he wants to know what we really believe in. We had the best restoration lesson I've had on my mission with him. We asked what he would do if there was a prophet on the earth and he said, "I would follow him! He's a man of God! If only there was a prophet that God called on the earth." Well, Richard, let me tell you about this church. He also already believed Jesus Christ visited America, so the Book of Mormon was an amazing concept for him. He wouldn't commit to be baptized, which makes me wonder, but he's excited to meet with us again. 

Also, his son is a Junior in high school and is being scouted by the Cardinals as a pitcher. For being 17, this guy is a mammoth. He's 6'3" and built like an athlete. He throws 91 as a righty and has the lowest ERA out of any pitcher in the Austin private schools. He said he'd find a lefty glove for me so we can play catch. If I cannot baptize you, I will become your best friend.

This week was wild, all over the place. I wish it didn't rain so much! We tried our best not to let it slow down the work, and I feel the lord has blessed us for our efforts. Even with all the rain, This week was amazing. Time's going by way too fast!

Elder Richard Hall

1. The Mission President and wife, The C and the Hs, and Elder M and I. I got to confirm K on Sunday!

2. My MTC Companion, Elder B, at a Zone Meeting we had Wednesday. I saw him twice this week after not seeing him in forever.